PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to incomplete service personnel records and the need to adjudicate under the liberalizing amendment to 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f)(3).

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining private mental health records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for PTSD and whether any other diagnosed psychiatric disability is related to service.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD in March 1984 and found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim in February 2003. The Veteran is contesting these decisions on grounds of CUE.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, the highest available rating under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The appeal was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, as these conditions are found to be proximately due to the appellant's service-connected skin disability.

The Board found no current diagnosis of PTSD and concluded that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of a valid in-service stressor. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD was also denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim for an earlier effective date for DIC benefits is not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was submitted to reopen the Veteran's PTSD claim, but denied it on the merits.

The Veteran's appeal is for an increased rating for PTSD and a TDIU. The Board previously granted a 50 percent rating from May 2, 1995 to October 11, 2006. The RO must now consider the case under both old and new criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication due to procedural issues, including a need for additional evidence regarding service connection for PTSD and fibromyalgia.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent prior to July 1, 2008 and increased to 50 percent from that date. The Board finds the evidence does not support a higher rating for PTSD prior to July 1, 2008.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and ratings for various conditions, including PTSD, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, and TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, and service connection for residuals of bilateral toe surgeries are addressed. The Board finds that the Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to warrant an effective date prior to June 30, 2006 for his PTSD, and thus denied this aspect of his claim. His claims for higher ratings and service connection remain pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA medical records and the need for further examination. The Veteran is also requested to provide authorization for obtaining private medical records.

The Board has determined that the appellant's PTSD with secondary major depressive disorder is currently rated at 50 percent disabling, effective February 19, 2008.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, skin cancer (presumably due to herbicide exposure), and a growth on the left foot were all denied by the RO. The Board found that there was no current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they do not meet the criteria for a 70 or 100 percent evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is as likely as not attributable to her military service, specifically to the sexual assaults she endured during service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for PTSD is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and consideration of whether he is unemployable due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, herpes type II, headaches, swelling in the joints, and hemorrhoids. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence of a current disability or a link to military service.